


When the Storm Ends

by LyriaBlackFrost



Series: Fool and Chariot [7]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 16:03:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17083400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyriaBlackFrost/pseuds/LyriaBlackFrost
Summary: Ryuji didn’t feel like he had almost died, so he might not have understood how terrified his boyfriend felt during those few minutes of separation.





	When the Storm Ends

**Author's Note:**

> I still think Ryuji deserved more love in this part, so I'm here to "fix" it. Please, appreciate this good boy.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it! :)

Ryuji opened his eyes, and the whole world was a mess of distorted images and sounds. He tried to sit, and the pain on his back made a groan leave his throat.

_What happened?_ It took him a whole minute to make his brain work again. The ship… Everything sinking… A loud sound, and then pain.

As the fragments of memories came together, forming a full picture, his heart jumped in his chest, and he jolted up with a muffled, pained scream.

Fuck the pain… Where was everyone? Were they safe?

As the world got back into focus, be realized he wasn’t in the metaverse anymore. He recognized the feeling of grass against his palm, and the slightly distant sound of voices filled his ears.

It was Ann’s voice… And a few more.

With some effort, he got up from the ground, walking with wide steps in the voices’ direction. They sounded like cries… His heart tightened.

_Please, be fine_ _… Please…_

He found them not too far. The first one he saw was Ann, who had both hands covering her face, as she sobbed uncontrollably. His heart sank: as he thought, something was wrong. He walked as fast as his sore back would allow, approaching his companions. Makoto was the first to notice his presence, and a surprised yelp left her lips. Soon, all eyes were upon him, widened in surprise, but Ryuji was too busy looking from one to the other to think too much about it.

_Ann, Makoto, Futaba, Yusuke, Haru, Morgana_ _…_ His whole body felt cold before his eyes finally found Akira, a few steps behind everyone, staring at him with a shocked expression.

He let his breath out. He was alive… Everyone was alive.

“Ryuji…?” said Ann.

But, if that was the case, then… what had happened? Ryuji glanced at all his companions, trying to find an injured one, but no… They seemed to be fine. Still, why would they be crying if nothing was wrong?

“What the hell is going on here?” he asked.

“Ryuji, you…” Futaba covered her mouth, unable to complete her phrase.

“We thought you were gone,” completed Yusuke.

Ryuji widened his eyes. _Wait_ … Could it be that they were crying because of him?

“We were worried about you!” said Haru.

“We thought you had…” Ann’s low voice gave place to a loud, almost angry tone, as she approached him with heavy steps. “Damn you, stupid Ryuji! Don’t you ever do this to us again!”

Shit, she really seemed about to hit him. Ryuji stepped back, bracing himself for the punishment he was sure he didn’t deserve. He closed his eyes, and his body was pushed back, making him fall down.

He opened his eyes again, seeing Akira there, embracing him, hands firmly grasping his t-shirt, his face buried on the crook of his neck.

“Akira…?”

He felt more than heard a small sob against his collarbone. Ryuji raised his eyes, and his gaze was met by a whole group of surprised faces. Ann knew about them, Morgana too. But, for the rest of the team, the two of them were nothing but close friends. Upon seeing them like that, he knew for sure there was no way they wouldn’t connect the dots.

But why was he worrying about such a stupid thing in a moment like that? Damn, fuck whatever they might think of them… He should be more worried about his boyfriend. Akira wasn’t the kind that reacted like that, even when things got bad for them. There had been countless times they screwed up, and someone ended up injured. Even so, he always kept his cool, being strong for all of them, as a leader should be.

For him to react like that, and because of him, broke Ryuji’s heart.

“Hey…” he said in a low voice. “It’s okay.”

Ryuji placed a hand on Akira’s head, gently caressing his hair.

“It’s okay, I’m here.”

Akira didn’t answer. Ryuji carefully moved him away, cupping his chin with a hand, making him raise his head.

“Look at me,” he asked.

Akira did, looking into his eyes. Ryuji offered him a light, reassuring smile.

“I’m here,” he repeated.

“Yes…” said Akira. “You are.”

Akira took a deep breath, drying his tears with the back of his hand. The group simply looked at them for a while, before Morgana broke the silence.

“We’ll go on ahead,” he said. “You two should take your time.”

They did as he said, and, a little later, the two of them were alone.

“Sorry,” said Akira, “I… I totally lost it for a moment.”

“I’m surprised it doesn’t happen more often, with all the shit we go through.”

Akira showed a tiny, slightly forced smile. Ryuji reached for his face, caressing it. The movement made his sore back ache.

“Shit, my back is killing me…”

“Did you hurt it?”

“Yeah, when I fell,” he placed a hand on his lower back, massaging it with his fingers. “Don’t think anything’s broken, though.”

Despite his words, Akira still had a concerned look on his face.

“I’ll walk you home,” he said.

“It’s fine, I can walk my way back, no problem.”

“But you’re hurt,” he insisted. “I really don’t mind it.”

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing that bad.”

“Ryuji, please.”

His voice almost broke Ryuji’s resolve.

“It’s just…” he said, averting his eyes. “My mom should be home by now, and… Appearing with someone at this hour would make things hard to explain.”

With that answer, Akira’s hurt expression slowly changed into anger.

“It’s that what you’re worried about?” he asked in disbelief. “I… You almost died in front of me, and all you can think is that people might find out about us?”

Ryuji, who hadn’t thought about it in that way, couldn’t find an answer. Akira proceeded, raising his voice.

“Do you have any idea how scared I was? I… I thought I lost you! And you… You want me to just shut up and go home because you’re too ashamed of being with me? Just how… How fucking selfish can you be?”

As soon as he finished, he was crying again, covering his face with both hands.

“Sorry…” he said after a while. “Shit, I’m so sorry…”

Ryuji simply looked at him, unsure of what to do.

“Akira…”

“I didn’t mean…” continued his boyfriend between sobs. “I don’t… Fuck…”

He stopped trying to talk. Carefully, Ryuji pulled him close, hugging him. His back hurt again, but he ignored it for the moment. He stayed like that for a while, waiting for Akira to calm down.

“If it’ll make you feel better, then—”

“No,” Akira interrupted him. “It’s okay.”

“Hey, Aki…”

He moved away from Ryuji, a mask of perfect composure in his face, betrayed only by the reddened eyes and trails of tears.

“I’m sorry,” he said, “this… This won’t happen again.”

Ryuji wanted to say something, but before he could, Akira got up, offering his hands as support for Ryuji.

“Let’s just go back,” he said.

With some difficulty — and some pain —, Ryuji got up. They walked in silence to the train station, finding an empty bench there, where they sat side by side. Akira kept his eyes on the ground, and Ryuji found it difficult to break the silence that was growing between them.

That whole situation hadn’t felt that bad for him… Sure, for a moment he was certain that he was going to die from that explosion, but, even so, there wasn’t a single moment he feared for his life more than being unable to save his companions. But it wasn’t the same for them, and now that he thought about it, it was pretty obvious. For fuck’s sake, the girls were even crying! And Akira… Damn, of course he’d be like that too — or worse — if he thought Akira had died, even if for just a minute. Hadn’t he learned anything from the time his boyfriend was arrested, after Akechi’s betrayal?

That’s right… Akechi was dead. His sacrifice to save them at the last moment, the fight against Shido’s shadow, the palace crumbling before they could escape… Everything had been a mess that day, so much that he still found it difficult to believe any of that had been real.

“Akira, I…” he started to say. “I know I acted like an asshole, but—”

“It’s alright, Ryuji,” Akira’s low voice interrupted him.

“No, listen,” he proceeded. “It’s like things are just starting to sink in, and… Shit, I don’t think I wanna be alone either.”

Akira looked at him through the corner of his eyes, a little uncertain.

“You’re really not doing this for me, are you?” he asked.

“Why should it matter?” answered Ryuji. “Yes, I am doing this for you, but I’m doing it for myself too! Just… Just stop puttin’ me and everyone else above yourself, okay? If this shit was bothering you, you shoulda just told me before!”

He only realized he was speaking loudly when he felt a few gazes upon them. He lowered his eyes, taking a deep breath to calm himself, and, in the meantime, a middle-aged man approached them with a concerned face.

“Excuse me…” he said. “Is everything alright?”

For the onlookers, it probably seemed like Ryuji was some kind of punk bullying a scared, crying boy. He’d laugh at the idea in another situation, but he was so tired of all that shit that he couldn’t help but glare at the poor guy.

“Yes, it is,” assured Akira with a polite smile. “I’m sorry for bothering you.”

The man nodded, still a little uncertain, but walked away. There were a few seconds of silence before Akira finally answered him in a low voice.

“I didn’t realize it bothered me this much before,” he said. “I’m fine with waiting until you feel more comfortable about it, but… I’m not fine with this,” he shut his eyes, fists clenching over his knees. “Almost losing you, and having to pretend nothing’s wrong…”

“I know…” said Ryuji. “I didn’t think about this before, and I don’t like this either, okay? Damn…” he sighed, placing a hand on the back of Akira’s neck, gently caressing it. “I feel so stupid now.”

Akira looked at him, and the shadow of a smile crossed his lips, as if he appreciated that comforting gesture.

“So, what should we do?” he asked.

“Let’s go to my house,” said Ryuji. “It shouldn’t be _that_ weird that I take a friend to spend the night, right? And, if she notices something…” he looked at the floor, lowering his voice. “I’ll just tell her.”

“You don’t have to…”

“I need to get over this shit at some point, right?”

He offered Akira a small smile, which his boyfriend retributed.

“Are you okay with that?” Ryuji asked.

“Yeah…” said Akira. “Thanks.”

The sound of a train approaching got their attention, and soon the few people in the platform embarked, as well as themselves. They sat side by side, and Ryuji reached for Akira, making him lean his head against his shoulder.

“Come here,” he said, “we still have some stops before we get home.”

“You sure about this?”

“Just stop worrying about it.”

“Okay…”

Akira relaxed a little, and Ryuji placed a soft, brief kiss on his head. He noticed people’s gazes on them again, and, instead of getting embarrassed by that unwanted attention, he simply glared back. Damn, if they already thought he was some problematic punk, then they’d have to deal with how much he loved his boyfriend too. And if they didn’t like it, fuck them!

The thought made his chest feel a little lighter. Maybe his brain was easily deceived, or maybe it had just set its priorities straight, but, at that moment, he really didn’t care about anything else but making things right between the two of them.

A few minutes later, he felt his phone buzzing on his pocket, and a look at the screen showed it was a new message from Ann.

 

_**Ann: everything alright??** _

 

He typed his answer with a single hand, so he wouldn’t bother Akira.

 

**Ryuji: yeah, dont worry**

_**Ann: u scared us back there u shitty loser** _

_**Ann: glad ur fine** _

 

Those words made him smile. Yeah, that was the Ann he knew… She could be quick to lose her temper, but cared about her friends like no one else.

 

**Ryuji: thanks**

**Ryuji: my back still hurts tho**

_**Ann: ask akira to kiss u better** _

  
She sent him a whole line of emojis, including a few suggestive eggplants. His answer to that made Ann call him “rude”.

 

_**Ann: hows he btw?** _

**Ryuji: sleepin on my shoulder**

**Ryuji: kinda drolling on my jacket**

**Ryuji: dont wanna wake him tho**

_**Ann: aww <33** _

_**Ann: take care of each other** _

**Ryuji: ok**

 

He placed his phone back in his pocket, noticing they were just a station away from disembarking. He woke Akira up, who apologized for the accidental pool of droll on his shoulder. Ryuji didn’t waste the opportunity to mock him, being rewarded with a small laugh and a nudge on his ribs. They walked to his house, a little slower than usual because of his back. The streets were empty at that hour, so Ryuji placed his arm on Akira’s waist, and his boyfriend did the same. It felt nice.

They entered Ryuji’s house, and were soon received by a slightly tall woman with brown hair, still in her work uniform.

“You’re late today, food is already…” Her eyes widened in surprise as soon as she saw Akira, and a friendly smile took her face. “Ah, welcome!”

“Mom, this is my friend, Akira,” said Ryuji. “He’ll spend the night here.”

“Ah, the one Ryuji won’t shut up about,” she laughed. “It’s nice to finally meet you! My name is Aoi Sakamoto.”

“Nice to meet you,” answered Akira. “Ryuji also talks a lot about you.”

Ryuji frowned at that brief exchange.

“Can you two stop embarrassing me now?” he asked.

“Of course, love,” she leaned in Akira’s direction, whispering in a not so low tone. “I’ll show you his baby pictures later.”

“Mom!”

“Thank you,” said Akira. “I can’t wait.”

“C’mon, dude!”

Ryuji protested as Aoi went back to the kitchen.

“I should send a message to Sojiro and Futaba,” said Akira, taking his phone.

“Okay,” said Ryuji. “I’ll go see if mom needs some help.”

He entered the kitchen, assisting his mother in setting the table. Akira soon followed, offering to help too, and both of them made him sit down and wait, like a good guest.

“Not in your first visit,” said Aoi. “Don’t want you to think I’m an evil mother.”

“You better be prepared on your next ones, though… We really have some rooms that need cleaning,” added Ryuji, and Aoi answered by bumping him with her hip, making him laugh.

The three had dinner together, while sharing some lively conversation. Of course, Aoi had no idea of what had happened earlier, and Ryuji would never let her know: she had way too many problems of her own, already. Besides, seeing the two most important persons in his life talking and getting along felt great, and he would never want to ruin the moment.

They finished eating, and Aoi sent them to Ryuji’s room while she washed the dishes — and also telling Ryuji not to get used to it. He guided Akira to his room, walking to his wardrobe, searching for something comfortable for both of them.

“I’ll lend you some clothes,” he said. “We’re the same size, so it should be good.”

“Okay.”

He gave Akira a t-shirt and sweatpants, and his boyfriend soon started taking out his uniform. Ryuji stared at him, forcing a shocked expression.

“What are you stripping in front of me for?” he asked.

“Should I go to the bathroom?”

“Nah, just kiddin’…” answered Ryuji. “I’m enjoying it.”

Akira twisted his lips at that answer, hugging his uniform shirt to cover his bare chest — which didn’t help much, considering he was already without his pants.

“Now I’m too embarrassed to keep going…” he said.

“Stop lying!” answered Ryuji with a chuckle. “You don’t even know what that word means!”

“Are you calling me a liar?” Akira lowered his eyes, with a dramatic sigh. “I’m so hurt…”

“You little shit,” Ryuji shook his head, turning around. “Happy now?”

“Thank you for respecting my feelings.”

Ryuji smiled to himself: if they were already bickering at each other, then Akira should be starting to feel better. He changed his own clothes, approaching his boyfriend, who was already dressed and sitting on his bed. Ryuji took a long look at him.

“You look cute,” he said.

“Because I’m not naked anymore?” asked Akira.

“’Cause you’re wearing my clothes,” corrected Ryuji. “You look cute in them.”

“C’mon… They’re not even over-sized.”

“Hey… I’m not saying this in a kinky way, y’know?”

Akira smiled at him, then reached for his waist, hugging it, resting his head against his body. Ryuji placed a hand on his head, caressing his hair, and Akira sighed, looking up at his boyfriend’s face.

“I love you,” he said.

Ryuji simply stared at him for a moment. Sure, after all that time together, it was obvious how they felt about each other. But still… Hearing those words coming from Akira’s lips was something else. He leaned forward to kiss his boyfriend, and a pained hiss left his mouth.

“Fuck…” he said, making Akira widen his eyes in confusion. “No… I mean… My back…”

_Shit_ , what a way to destroy the moment. Akira snorted, lowering his head, laughing against Ryuji’s t-shirt.

“I’m so sorry…” he said. “I didn’t know my sudden confession would hit you _that_ hard.”

“Shuddup, you little shit!”

Despite his words, Ryuji started laughing as well. Yeah, he was embarrassed as fuck, but Akira’s laugh was too damn contagious for him to resist.

“Stop laughing, you asshole!” he said. “I was just tryin’ to be romantic here!”

“You failed…”

“I tried!”

“And failed.”

“You little shit.”

Akira looked at him again, a wide smile on his face. Ryuji smiled back, brushing the hair away from his forehead, cupping his face.

“Don’t try it again,” warned Akira.

“Yeah… I know.”

Ryuji moved away from Akira, sitting beside him on the bed, before giving him a brief, soft kiss on the lips, followed by another on the cheek. Akira answered by holding his hand, kissing his wrist.

“Hey, let me see your back,” he asked.

Ryuji nodded, turning to the side and lifting his t-shirt. He heard a small groan coming from Akira, glancing at him over his shoulder.

“Is it that ugly?” he asked.

“You could say it’s pretty blue.”

“Shit…”

“Do you have any medicine to help with the bruising?”

“Don’t think so…”

“Then I’ll buy you some tomorrow, after school.”

Saying that, he gave Ryuji’s back a light kiss, making his heart melt in the process.

“Hey…” said Ryuji in a low voice. “I love you too.”

There was a brief moment of silence following his words.

“Fuck…” said Akira.

Ryuji grunted, turning to face his boyfriend.

“C’mon, Akira!” he said. “Why are you like this?”

“Sorry…” answered Akira with a playful smile. “Was just surprised by how lucky I am.”

Ryuji stared at him, pressing his own lips together.

“Damn, dude…” he said, touching Akira’s face, squeezing his cheek. “Don’t change from stupid to cute like that.”

“Sorry?”

“You’re not.”

Akira chuckled, and Ryuji approached him, careful not to hurt his back this time. Akira met him halfway, their lips softly touching. Ryuji’s hand traveled to the back of his head, while Akira caressed the side of his body, hand sliding under his t-shirt, fingertips tickling Ryuji’s skin in a pleasant way.

He loved those moments, when it felt like everything in the world was reduced to Akira’s presence and warmth, as he touched him in such a sweet, gentle manner that he didn’t even think possible. A small part of Ryuji still believed he didn’t deserve someone like him, but those intimate moments they shared made him forget all his insecurities, even if for a moment.

They broke the kiss, looking at each other, and Akira offered him a smile before kissing his forehead.

“Ah, yeah…” he said, looking around the room. “Where will I sleep?”

“We’re sharin’ the bed,” answered Ryuji. “It’d be a waste to make you sleep on the floor.”

Akira frowned at him.

“You should at least say you’d let me stay in the bed…” he said. “Is that how you treat your guests?”

“I’m not that nice, dude…” Ryuji shrugged. “I’m only sharing it ‘cause you’re kinda cute.”

“’Kinda’…?”

Akira stared at him with an open mouth and widened eyes, placing a hand over his chest and slowly falling backwards on the bed. Ryuji gave his thigh a light slap.

“C’mon, don’t be so dramatic…” he said.

“But you hurt me…” proceeded Akira. “My wounds are too deep, I don’t know if I’ll make it.”

Ryuji reached for his pillow, using it to hit Akira’s head, instantly regretting the sudden movement.

“Damn, this shit hurts…” he grunted.

“It’s called karma.”

“You’re so annoying, dude…” Ryuji sighed. “C’mon, gimme some space, I wanna lay down too.”

Akira did as he said, moving closer to the wall. Ryuji slowly lied down on his stomach, groaning like an old man whenever his back hurt. Akira reached for his face, fingers lightly contouring his hairline, then going down his cheek. Ryuji closed his eyes, simply enjoying that caress.

“Thanks for letting me stay,” muttered Akira.

“It’s okay,” he reached for Akira’s hand, taking it to his lips, kissing his palm. “Don’t think about it anymore.”

Akira nodded.

“I’ll try.”

 

* * *

  

When he got to school on the next day, the girls were waiting for him. To his surprise, not only Ann, but Haru and Makoto also hugged him, saying how glad they were that he was safe. Even Morgana — who had spent the night at Ann’s house — thanked him, despite still calling him an “idiot” by the end of it. That without considering the messages he received from Futaba and Yusuke during the day, mostly mocking him for whatever reasons they found, but also making sure that he was fine.

He never realized how unused he was to being cared for, before that day. Sure, his mother and Akira showered him with all the love he could ever ask for, but, to receive it from other people, especially people he liked… He didn’t know how to deal with such a thing.

He spent the afternoon watching movies in Akira’s room, with Futaba and Morgana, and, when he got back home, his mother had just arrived. As usual, they made dinner and ate together.

“That boy, Akira, was so polite…” she said after a while. “I can’t even imagine how you two became close.”

Ryuji frowned at that implication.

“What do you mean by that?” he asked.

“I wonder…” a playful smile danced on her lips. “How did you two meet?”

Now, that would be difficult to explain.

“Y’know…” Ryuji shrugged. “He’s a troublemaker, just like me.”

“He doesn’t look like it, though.”

“Yeah, that’s right,” he admitted. “He’s actually the sweetest guy I’ve ever met. But some bad stuff happened, and people just threw all the blame on him.”

“Oh… I’m sorry to hear that.”

Aoi looked at him for a few seconds, as if considering her next words.

“Ryuji…” she finally said. “Are the two of you just friends?”

The question made his blood freeze, but he managed not to panic.

“Why are you asking?”

“You didn’t answer me.”

He sighed. Well, he knew from the beginning something like that could happen.

“No. We…” he took a deep breath. “He’s my boyfriend.”

“I thought so.”

That simple response surprised him.

“How did you know?” he asked.

“Don’t underestimate a mother’s intuition,” said Aoi, winking at him. “Besides, it was easy to tell with how you acted around each other, and the way you talk about him.”

“Don’t you think it’s weird?”

“I admit it’s not what I expected… And part of me is worried. Not about you,” she added quickly, when his expression dropped, “but about how people will treat you both.”

“I see…”

“But,” she proceeded, “if you really like him, I’ll support you, no matter what.

She reached for his hand over the table, gently squeezing it.

“I just want you to be with someone that makes you happy.”

Of course she’d say that, especially after everything she’d gone through. Ryuji felt his chest tighten, tears forming in his eyes.

“He makes me happy,” he said, his voice sounding low and hoarse.

“Then, it’s more than enough for me.”

Ryuji raised his eyes to her, showing her a light, grateful smile.

“Thanks, mom.”

She smiled back, squeezing his hand again before letting go.

“By the way,” she said, “let me know when Akira comes to visit again. I need to have a serious talk with my future son in law before he takes my baby from me.”

Ryuji couldn’t help but laugh at the idea. They finished their meal and did the dishes, and soon Ryuji was back at his room, on his bed, typing a message

 

**Ryuji: my mom knows**

 

The answer came a few seconds later.

 

_**Akira: was i too obvious?** _

**Ryuji: nah shes just damn smart**

**Ryuji: like me**

_**Akira: don** _ _**’t insult your mom** _

**Ryuji: u piece of shit**

  
It took a while for the next message to come. He saw Akira start and stop typing many times, as if unsure of how to word his next message. When he finally sent it, Ryuji could understand why.

 

_**Akira: are you ok with this?** _

 

He knew Akira had the tendency to feel anxious, and Ryuji felt a little bad about how against assuming their relationship he had been, especially to his mother. Now that she knew, it seemed like such a small thing to worry about… Part of him even regretted not saying it before.

 

**Ryuji: yeah**

**Ryuji: she accepted pretty well**

**Ryuji: said she supports me**

**Ryuji: that she just wants me to be happy**

_**Akira: that** _ _**’s sweet** _

**Ryuji: yeah**

**Ryuji: said she wants to see u again**

**Ryuji: to have a talk about takin her son from her n stuff**

_**Akira: i** _ _**’m kinda scared…** _

**Ryuji: if u treat me well ill put a good word for u**

**Ryuji: u might even get out alive**

_**Akira: save me** _ _**…** _

**Ryuji: maybe if u buy me some ramen**

_**Akira: what????** _

_**Akira: are you rly extorting me rn??** _

  
Ryuji sent him a kissing emoji, and Akira replied with a broken heart. What a drama queen…

 

**Ryuji: tomorrow after school then**

**Ryuji: cant wait**

_**Akira: fineee** _

 

He sent him a heart, and Akira did the same. This time a whole one, at least.

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, this series _may_ go beyond the game's story... I guess it stopped being "Ryuji's romance route" and became "AkiRyu's love story" by now. Oh, well... It's not like it's a bad thing. :)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this fic, kudos and comments are highly appreciated! ♥


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